Doctor Facilier
“''Don't you disrespect me, little man!'' Don't you derogate or deride! You're in my world now, not your world And I got friends on the other side!” ―Doctor Facilier. Doctor Facilier, commonly known as the Shadow Man, is the main antagonist of Disney's 2009 animated feature film the The Princess and the Frog. He is an evil bokor (witch doctor) who plans to rule New Orleans with help from his "friends on the other side". Since his inception, Facilier has reached critical acclaim and major popularity with Disney fans, making him one of Disney's most popular villains, in addition to becoming a primary member of the Disney Villains franchise. Background Facilier's past is mostly unknown, though he mentions being a descendant of royalty through his mother (whose severed, shrunken head he keeps in his emporium). His motivations toward becoming the wealthiest and most powerful man in New Orleans, dominating the city as its ruler, was briefly implied to be a result of a poor upbringing, where the wealthy either treated him with disrespect or ignored him altogether. As a result, Facilier despised those more powerful or fortunate than himself. At some point of time, through unknown circumstances, Facilier encountered a legion of voodoo demons and formed an alliance with them, granting himself power over black magic, which he would regularly use to swindle the desperate and unfortunate citizens of New Orleans–posing as a benevolent businessman of sorts. However, as evidenced by Tiana's knowledge and distaste for him, Facilier has an infamous reputation around the city, and is a feared figure in the eyes of its inhabitants. Facilier is accompanied by his sidekick shadow that actually has a life and personality of its own, being able to move of its own free will and move objects like the voodoo shadow spirits. It is possible that his shadow is a similar spirit given to Facilier by his "Friends," though as it fears the same fate that will befall Facilier if he cannot pay back his debt, it is perhaps a more personal creation of the doctor; it is absolutely obedient to his wishes and seems to reflect his mood at several points. Personality Facilier is a scheming bokor, driven mostly by greed and the desire to have authority over others; more specifically, the citizens of New Orleans. As Naveen mentions, Facilier is indeed suave, smooth-talking and often charming, which aids him in luring unsuspecting victims into his lair. Generally, Faciliar isn't as powerful as he seems, as the magic showcased within the film is primarily derived from his "friends", forcing the witch doctor to rely on his own power of persuasion to carry out his biddings. This was a weapon perhaps even more dangerous than black magic during his lifetime, as Facilier was able to maintain control over his "friends" by repeatedly manipulating them with his usual charm and temptation. Facilier is an opportunist, and can be quick to formulate plots that would generally end in his favor. After overhearing the planned arrival of a foreign prince, and Charlotte La Bouff's lovesick infatuation with said prince, Facilier was able to quickly concoct an elaborate scheme—one of which that could have very well succeeded, if not for unexpected interferences. While a charismatic showman, Facilier is also cruel, remorseless and sadistic. He apparently has no qualms with terrorizing innocent civilians as a means to reach his own goals, and often relies on manipulation and false promises as a means to achieve said goals. Evidenced by his words to his "friends" while ordering them to capture and bring an escaped Naveen to him; "Bring him to me alive, I need his heart pumpin'... For now.", Facilier is not above killing his victims, once their usefulness has been fully met. His murderous state is also shown when Ray the firefly interferes with his plot in order to save Naveen, as the witch doctor was quick to resort to murder to prevent further interferences, and appeared rather nonchalant about the matter. Additionally, while generally composed, Facileir has instances of lashing out in anger, particularly when feeling disrespected. For example, when Lawrence questioned Facilier's legitimacy by referring to him as a charlatan, the latter immediately confronted Lawrence in fury, though he managed to pull himself back fairly quickly. Despite this complete lack of morals and a treacherous nature, Facilier's motivations are hinted at briefly. Facilier frequently sympathizes with the downtrodden or poor. With Lawrence, he was also rather patient, and generally retained a calm demeanor; he was apparently adamant about having Lawrence willingly work as his accomplice, rather than forcing him into villainy through traditional torture or intimidation. This was not true to heart, however, as Facilier's composure is somewhat of a façade. In reality, he lives in constant fear of being unable to repay his debt to his "friends". When the notion of failure comes into play, Facilier becomes vulnerable, desperate, out of his element, and high-strung. Physical Appearance Facilier bears many physical traits that are similar to Jafar, such as being tall, skinny, mustached; and dressed in very linear black-and-red clothing. Facilier has purple eyes, and a thin mustache, as well as a gap between his front teeth. He has long, boney fingers, and lanky arms and legs. Dressed as the infamous Loa of the dead Baron Samedi, Doctor Facilier wears a top hat with a purple feather in it and a skull and crossbones on it; the skull can be magically removed and change into a skull make-up as shown in "Friends on the other side". Under his top hat, instead of being bald or having a comb-over, Facilier has a huge hairdo to fit in his hat, also to many villains are seen to have hair like he does. Around his neck, he wears a necklace with two crocodile teeth. Facilier wears a dark maroon undertaker tailcoat and black pants, white spats over black shoes, a purple vest under his coat that doesn't entirely cover his midriff, and a red cummerbund. One might say he somewhat looks and performs like a showman. Like most Disney Villains, Facilier's clothing consists mainly of red, black and purple. He wields a cane with a purple globe on top, possibly a crystal ball, though it is never revealed. Facilier seems to use his cane for show performances, a tool, or a weapon. He carries a voodoo talisman, which is the fragile source of his powers. As shown, only a person besides Facilier, who wears the talisman, becomes who ever they want, provided it has a particular person's blood.